Prior art sensor systems use a local presentation of data which is like “moving hospital at home”. Therefore a nurse is visit regularly needed. An alarm is given to a patient who is afraid for everything strange matter of health. A fully healthy person would get stress, when watching his temperature going up and down while he thinks it is stable. On a cardiac disease patient a sudden alarm may be fatal since in some cases he must receive rescue services without prior notice or with a psychologically compiled message.
There are a lot of patents describing two or multi wavelength pulse oximeters, or holter monitors for continuous monitoring of blood gases or cardiac activity, and a few describing a combination of blood pressure ECG and pulse oximeter. ECG monitors and also holter monitors usually use a bundle of cables connected to a thick master cable which is coupled to a monitoring device. This technique cannot be a long time monitoring practice because of the nuisance the cables and pads induce to the user. Prior art holter monitors have at least three self adhesive pads and cables connected to a pocket sized recorder. ECG beepers have a three PIN base to get an ECG when placed on the patient chest and record small portion which is sent by analog telephone to a doctor in case of event. Pulse oximeters have a thumb clip and cable to a pocket sized device showing SO2, PO2, PCO2, PH, HCO3 locally.
EP 0 444 934 A1 discloses a finger ring pressure meter associated to a pulse oximeter for detecting pass/no pass of blood during artery blocking by a pressurized ring. This device is also connected by cables to a monitor and power supply. The pressurizing ring needs power and is bulky so that the whole system is not usable for patients when walking.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,474 A discloses pulse rate monitor for training/exercise which takes signals from conductive plastic pads on the patient's chest and transmit them with pulsed RF communication to a wrist pulse rate meter.
The system of U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,806 A uses GPS to track objects or persons.
EP 0 846 440 A discloses a military monitoring system with a bulky jacket type of sensor system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,869 A describes an implantable cardiogram with telemetric capabilities.
There is a need to have a monitoring system as small and with low discomfort to the user as possible, so that it may be worn all the time and not be noticed by other people. There is also a need to have a speedy service to react on any incident, even before it gets serious, and to rescue the patient knowing its location.